Don't Turn Back
by acaudill0068
Summary: 'Tell me you need me. Just once.' Completely AU. Puckleberry, Santana/Mike, Sam/Brittany. Written for the many prompts wishing for Rachel to be in WitSec.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Glee.

*/*

"Say it," Matt commanded but the petite woman sitting in the chair across the table just crossed her arms and pursed her lips, her face set in undeterred determination. "Shit, Rachel, repeat exactly what I told you."

Her eyes flickered to his and he was afraid of what was about to come out of her mouth. "My name is Rachel Corcoran," She narrowed her eyes at him and Matt growled in frustration. "I live in New York City in a three story walk-up. My mom lives two blocks north of me and my fathers live twenty-five minutes away in Manhatten. I'm twenty-eight years old and I star in small musicals Off-Broadway. I have a fiance..." Her face fell slightly and Matt sighed, his own expression softening. "..._Had_ a fiance."

"Rachel," Matt began and her eyes darted away. "I understand how hard this must be for you. I'm trying to be flexible but I have guidelines I have to follow. I have to stick to the rules but you're making it pretty damn hard," He sighed again, louder this time, and his soft expression disappeared, only to be replaced by his usual hard stare. "The door is right there. If you don't want to follow the rules then you need to go. No one is forcing you to do this. If you want to run back to New York we can't stop you. We can _only_ protect you if you let us."

Rachel pursed her lips and her eyes moved around the room. Matt looked upset and, behind him, Will Schuester silently pleaded with her to listen to what Matt was saying. Her gaze then landed on an unfamiliar man in the back of the room, nestled in a corner, his face completely blank and without emotion. She'd never seen him before and she wondered why he was here. Maybe he worked with Matt and Will.

She sucked in a silent breath and locked eyes with Matt. Her was voice was eerily calm and hollow as she repeated the speech Matt had given her over and over the last few months, "My name is Rachel Berry. I'm from Miami and I work in a small boutique. I live alone in a small studio apartment. I keep to myself most of the time," The breath she let out was ragged and she fought back the tears. "I'm single and I don't have much of a family," She paused, her fingers curling into fists tightly and she looked to Will, hoping he would save her from this.

Matt nodded. "We have some changes, Rachel. You can't stay in Miami anymore."

"No," She shook her head. "I don't want to move again, Matt. I was just getting used to Miami. I've moved three times already in the last seven months. Fort Campbell, Chicago, Miami... I just want some normalcy in my life."

"You called your dads, Rachel, _again_," Matt told her evenly. "You know that's against the rules. We have to move you. It's for your own safety."

She blew out a breath. "Just tell me where I'm going, Matt."

"Lima, Ohio," Matt said. "We've already got an apartment ready for you there. You've got a job set up at this little diner. You'll get a monthly allowance so you won't have to worry about much."

"Ohio?" Rachel questioned. "That's pretty far from Florida... how is Will going to protect me all the from here? He has a family here, Matt. He can't just leave them to come with me."

"Actually," Matt began and motioned for the man in the corner to step forward. "This is Noah Puckerman. He's originally from Lima and he's currently residing in Columbus but he doesn't mind moving back home for a little while."

"Matt," Rachel furrowed her brow. "I like Will. I trust him. You can't just throw me with someone else."

"Puckerman is a former Green Beret. He's the best you're gonna get, Rachel. With all the drama you've been stirring up lately you're lucky I even found a Marshal that would take you on. He's doing me a huge favor here, Rachel," Matt told her. "You're going with him to Lima."

She looked over to Noah and took in his appearance. He was broad shouldered and slim hipped in Army camouglage. Didn't Matt say he was a _former_ Green Beret? Why was he still wearing camo? His face was calm and his jaw was solid, along with the rest of his body. His eyes stared past her and she frowned slightly.

"He's going to attract attention in that uniform," Rachel said quietly and Matt grinned.

"So you're going to listen to me now?" Matt asked. "I really don't want you getting hurt and Puck is the best you're going to find. He's going to take great of you."

"Okay," She nodded in agreement and then stood up. "So how is this going to work? Will was always introduced as just a friend."

Will looked down at the floor to hide his smile and Matt smirked. "He's going to be your boyfriend." Puck twitched beside Will and Rachel set her jaw firmly. "It'll be a good cover and that way he can always be around you without raising suspicion. No one is going to care if you two are constantly attached at the hip if they think you're madly in love."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You're enjoying this entirely too much, Matthew."

*/*

Rachel was waiting impatiently in the big jeep that belonged to Puck when the man himself walked out of the building they'd just been in and headed straight for the vehicle. She took a few moments to take in his appearance again. He had changed out of his uniform, under Matt's order, and was now wearing a pair of loose fitting blue jeans, hung low on his hips, and a plain grey cotton t-shirt. If she didn't despise him just for the mere fact he hadn't said two words to her in the last hour she might think he was kind of cute.

He slid into the drivers seat and she looked away. Most of her things were packed away in the back on his jeep while the rest was already on it's way to Lima. She blew out a breath as he started to pull away from the building, letting her know this was the last time she'd see Miami.

"H-how long before we get there?" She asked quietly after they had been driving for about three hours but his eyes didn't falter from the road. It was already late evening, the sun was kissing the horizon and the sky was starting to be tickled with pink and orange.

"Lima is about twenty hours from Miami," He told her, calm and simple. "I figured if we drove all night and most of day tomorrow we'd get there by tomorrow night."

"Oh..." She replied softly but she didn't notice the way his eyes cut to the side to watch her.

"Let's try to keep the stops to a minimum, Miss Berry," His voice was loud in the quiet of his jeep and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Call me, Rachel." He offered her a noncommital grunt and his grip tightened on the steering wheel. "What's Lima like?" She questioned him just because she'd realized it annoyed him when she pried. He was a quiet person and obvisouly liked his privacy.

"Quiet, small, full of yentas," He voice was rough and she glanced over. "I haven't been there in twelve years."

"So why go back now?" She urged and he sighed.

He shrugged. "Gotta protect you, Miss Berry."

"Right," She clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead again. "Why didn't we fly? Wouldn't it have been much quicker?"

"I don't like to fly," He told her simply.

"Wait," She furrowed her brow. "Special Forces? Didn't you have to ride in helicopters?"

His grip tightened on the steering wheel again. "I don't fly unless I have to. I haven't flown since my last mission two years ago and I don't plan to fly again anytime soon. Look, Miss Berry, it's not really something I like to talk about. My past is my past and I'd like to keep it that way."

"You didn't even let me say goodbye to Matt and Will properly. Why do you have to rush everything? And would it kill you to smile or make some casual conversation?" She crossed her arms.

"Stop," His voice made her shrink back and it was hard to take satisfaction in finally making him look at her. "Shut your eyes and try to sleep, Miss Berry. It's going to be a long ride and if you don't want to be walking the rest of the way to Ohio you'll learn to keep your mouth shut."

She drew in a breath and stretched out slowly in the seat. "Fine," She sighed and watched as he focused back on the road. "Can I just say one more thing?"

"No," He replied smoothly.

"Why'd you choose to go into the special forces?" She leaned towards him slightly to see his face better in the dark. "It takes a different kind of man to do what you do."

"I'm not a Beret anymore," He told her. "I haven't been one in a while. And as for why I chose special forces?" He shrugged and she pursed her lips waiting for his answer. "Being part of something special makes you special, right?"

"Yea," She grinned cheekily. "I guess you're right."

He glanced over at her quickly but his eyes were back on the road before she even noticed. "It's getting late," He noted. "And I don't think you're going to be shutting up anytime soon so why don't we stop at the next town-"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't talk _that_ much."

"We'll get a hotel room for the night. Is that alright with you, Miss Berry?" He bit out her name a bit too gruffly and she crossed her arms.

"I said to call me Rachel," She turned to stare out of the window and refused to even look at him. "And I highly doubt that _you_ are the best Matt could find for me. I thought Seals were _better_ than Special Forces," She smirked when she heard him growl.

Puck already regretted agreeing to do Matt this favor. They'd been friends since right after they both enlisted twelve years ago. Matt had told him it would be an easy case, _'She's trouble, Puckerman, but it's nothing you can't handle, right?'_ Puck was usually a pretty laid back guy and he liked to keep to himself but there was something about Rachel Berry that made him want to scream. Now he remembered why he'd never been in a relationship with a woman before. His eyes flickered over to her and she was slumped down in the seat, her eyelids drooping as she tried to keep up with the nature zooming by outside the window. He let out a ragged breath and let his eyes dance over her body slowly, his gaze darting back and forth before her and the road.

"Stop staring at me," Her voice was tired and it made him jump slightly. Luckily, she didn't noitce. "Just tell me when we get to the hotel. And try not to pick one that has bed bugs, please."

She'd barely known him for four hours and she already knew how to get under his skin. He shook his head but she didn't miss the minute smile playing on his lips. "Whatever you say, _Rachel_."

*/*

Thoughts? I don't know much about WitSec or Special Forces so we're just going to bend reality for this fic, okay? I'll try to keep everything as accurate as possible but there may be little faults in this for the sake of the plot.

I'm not sure why but I'm having a hard time writing on my other fics. I'm hoping that writing this will help me get back on track. At this point, I'm only planning for this to be about 7 to 10 chapters.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Glee.

A/N: I forgot to mention in the first chapter that this fic is based very loosely on a book by Jennifer Crusie called Don't Look Down. It's honestly nothing like the book except for the fact that both J.T. and Puck are Special Forces and a few other little details that aren't signicant. The plots are completely different but I highly recommend reading this book if you haven't already. Or any book by Crusie for that matter.

*/*

Rachel rolled over in the bed once again. She'd always hated sleeping in hotel beds. The sheets were stiff and the comforter was itchy against her skin. She huffed, pushing the hair back from her face, and looked over at the bed next to her where Puck was sleeping. He'd said he needed to be closest to the door and she was too tired to argue.

She kicked the blanket off and looked up at the ceiling. She wanted to talk to her dads. She wanted to see her mom. None of that would be happening anytime soon. She hadn't talked to any of her family in almost a year.

Her thoughts drifted to Jesse as her eyes danced across the ceiling, trying to make sense of the intricate pattern above her. She'd met Jesse when she was twenty-two. They literally ran into each other at an audition. She was running late and wasn't paying attention as she ran through the lines in her head. Rachel could still remember the way he had gripped her arms tightly to steady her and how her breath had stuck in her throat when he smiled down at her. Jesse had always been able to charm the pants of women so she wasn't surprised when she found herself agreeing to go on a date with an absolute stranger.

It was one of the stupidest and best moments of her life. She couldn't really tell you when she fell in love with him. Probably somewhere between their fifth date and when she agreed to move in with him a year after meeting him. She'd always envisioned her future to be with Jesse. She loved him so and she'd thought he loved her just as much.

But that was one of Rachel's faults. She'd never been one to read people very well. She always let herself get swept up in the romance and the flowers and didn't give herself time to think about how secretive Jesse could be. When she caught him in hushed arguments and he told her it was just business, she believed him. Why wouldn't she? She didn't keep secrets from Jesse and she just assumed he didn't either. Her second biggest mistake besides letting herself fall in love with Jesse St. James in the first place.

She remembered the day everything started to fall apart clearly. It had probably started long before that day if she was completely honest but she doesn't like to think about it. She doesn't like knowing she was in love with a criminal. She hates thinking about Jesse but she hates what he did to her even more.

It was his fault she was in this mess to begin with.

In Jesse's defense, he had warned her on their first date that he wasn't a good guy. She'd played it off as a joke and didn't give it much thought because he was so cute and so sweet. And after they moved in together and she found some suspicious paperwork, she just shoved it back into the box and stuffed it away into the back of the closet like she found it. After all, how could a man that made love to her so gently be caught up in something so criminal?

She should have asked herself that question sooner because by the time she realized something really was wrong, it was too late. Jesse was too far in. And he'd dragged her down with him.

A phone call late one night gave Rachel all the information she would need. Jesse was dealing in some bad business and couldn't find a way out. She'd showed up at his office to confront him not long after the call but _they_ had beat her there.

Everything was fuzzy in Rachel's head. If she closed her eyes she could see Jesse, scared and trying to get away. He begged for _them_ to let him go. He promised he'd get _it_ done. Then she saw the gun, large and dangerous, pressed right against Jesse's forehead. Jesse caught her eyes then and he looked sorry, pathetic on his knees, and she wanted to run to him. She wanted to save him but she couldn't move. One word slipped off his lips, his last word, and it made Rachel sob. _Rachel._ Her name echoed in her ears when he murmured it and then there were screams when two shots rang out. The men turned toward Rachel and she realized the screams were coming from _her_.

Her feet moved then, thudding loudly in her ears as she ran. They were behind her, yelling in some language she didn't understand. She wasn't sure how it happened but it could only be described as an act of God when she ran into something hard and looked up to see one of New York's finest assuring her safety. For now.

It didn't matter that she got away that night because she knew _they_ saw her. They knew what she looked like and if them putting a hit out on her was any indication, they wanted her dead. And soon. Although, she knew nothing about what was going on with Jesse, they thought she did. They thought she was in on it and now she had to be disposed of. She was a liability because she'd seen them as well. And should never forget the face of the man that killed Jesse.

Something moved beside her, successfully pulling her from the distant memory, and she shot up in the lumpy hotel bed to see Puck restlessly moving around. Apparently he couldn't sleep either because his eyes shot open to meet hers.

"What are you doing awake?" He asked moments later, his voice full of sleep and irritation.

"Thinking," She replied softly.

"Well, you should stop. It's annoying."

"I wasn't even making any noise," She furrowed her brow and stood up. "Now if you don't mind, I have to use the bathroom."

"Whatever," He rolled his eyes. "Just don't try to squeeze out of the window back there. I'd hate to have to chase your tiny ass down in the middle of the night." She walked past him, allowing him a good look at what she was wearing, and apparently, she noticed him staring.

"I like Wonder Woman," She told him when she paused at the foot of the bed and looked down at the pajamas she was wearing. It probably wasn't the smartest idea to wear these when she wasn't alone, especially since her outfit only consisted of a red camisole with the 'W' eblem emblazed in the middle with a stip of yellow at the bottom to mimic the belt and then a pair of blue panties with white stars littering the material. "She's way better than Cat Woman, you know," She bit back a smile when she noticed his eyes taking her in appreciatively.

His legs swung out over the bed and he sat up quickly, his eyes never leaving her body. She took a step back just because he was a little _too_ close and she couldn't help but notice the way his eyes were tight and hot as they danced over her body.

"Wonder Woman, huh? You like any others?" He asked.

"S-super Girl... I have a pajama set for her, too," Rachel swallowed loudly and the corner of his lips quirked up. "And I have the bracelets for Wonder Woman. You know, the silver bullet proof ones. Well, mine aren't really bullet proof but..."

His eyes jumped to her wrists and she felt her throat dry when he groaned quietly. "What else?" He questioned and she shifted her weight nervously on one leg.

"I-I have the Lasso of Truth. It's kind of junky. I think it was made in China or something because the gold paint chips off all the time and the rope isn't very high quality," Her voice was lower than she intended so he leaned forward to hear her better, although, she had a feeling he wasn't really listening to her words anyway. "I have a costume I wore a few years ago for halloween but I don't think it fits anymore."

"I like Wonder Woman," He told her and then he was standing up, hot and tall in front of her, and she had to look up to see his face. "Maybe you could show the costume to me sometime."

"Yea," Her breath hitched when she felt his fingers pushing the hair back from her face. "Sometime." Her heart pounded in her ears as he traced the shell of her ear. Rachel leaned forward slightly, her eyes glued to his lips, and she noticed the way his eyes hesitated.

"Didn't you need to go to the bathroom?" He asked suddenly and took a large step backward.

Her brows furrowed and she searched her face. She could have sworn he had wanted her to kiss him. She had definitely wanted to kiss him but she wasn't sure what to make of him. He seemed almost guarded and she had a feeling there was a good reason for that.

"Yea," She nodded and let her hands fall limply to her sides before rushing towards the small bathroom and locking the door behind her.

Her hands gripped the counter tightly and her head tipped up so she could see her reflection clearly in the mirror. She took in a deep breath as her fingers ran through her hair.

She'd changed a lot in the past year. She'd had to. Her hair used to be light brown, almost blonde, and now it was a deep chocolate brown. She didn't hate her new hair color. She actually preferred it to her original color but she hated the reason behind _having_ to change her appearance. She'd always straightened it before but now it hung in loose, natural waves over her shoulders. And she had bangs. She'd never had bangs in her entire life and now they kept falling in her eyes and annoying her.

She heard shuffling on the other side of door and then Puck was knocking. "You okay in there?" He asked through the door and she slowly opened it.

"I'm good," She brushed past him and tried not to notice how he felt against her, even if it was only for a second. "I should get back to sleep though. We have a busy day tomorrow."

"Right."

She tried not to notice his eyes on her as she made her way back to the bed and sank down onto the mattress, covering herself with the comforter. "You should sleep, too," She told him. "A lot of driving in the morning, Noah."

She heard more shuffling behind her and then Puck was sinking onto the other bed. He faced away from her and she watched his back for a few minutes before letting her eyes fall closed.

His voice was soft in the room as he murmured, "Get some sleep, Rachel." So she did.

*/*

Lima was a small town, she realized, and it was full of small people. They'd just entered the Lima city limits and she was letting her eyes take in every possible detail. Puck was quiet beside her but she didn't mind because now she could let her thoughts wander aimlessly.

He pulled up to the apartment and slowed to a halt before looking over at her. Her brow furrowed and she shook her head.

"I'm not living here," Her eyes danced around at the surroundings and Puck snorted.

"I don't think you have a choice, Princess," He told her.

"How am I supposed to feel safe here?" She glared at him and jumped from the jeep, him following right after her. "This apartment building needs to be condemned, Noah."

"Okay, so it may not be up to your New York standards but this is a good part of Lima," He rolled his eyes.

She crossed her arms and matched his stare. "Call Matt and figure something else out because I'm not staying _here_."

"Fine," He bit the word out.

"Alright then," She raised her eyebrows. "I'll just wait in the jeep," She shoudlered her way past him and took satisfaction in the way he was fuming as he dialed Matt's number.

If she was going to be miserable in Lima then he sure as hell was going to be miserable too.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Glee.

*/*

"She's not that bad," Puck replied, referring to Sam's comment that Rachel was the worst waitress he's ever had. He winced slightly when Rachel stumbled and almost poured a pot of coffee on one of the police officers at the counter. "She's still in training, dude. She'll get better, just give her a chance."

"You do know the only reason I haven't fired her is because she's your girlfriend," Sam sighed and turned to see Rachel, flustered and trying to figure out who got what dish at a booth in the corner. "You're just lucky Brittany doesn't mind putting up with training her. Lauren was about to throw Rachel into a dumpster yesterday."

"Lauren's a bitch," Puck retorted and sipped from his coffee mug. "She doesn't like anyone."

"How's it living with Rachel?" Sam didn't seem to notice his own sudden change in subject.

"I think I unpacked the last of the boxes last week. Rachel has a lot of useless shit. Like, what the hell is a candle warmer? And everything she has is purple. Or yellow. I don't think she even owns a pair of jeans."

Sam shifted in the booth to face Puck better. "You've changed in twelve years."

"What do you mean?"

"The Puck I knew never would have gotten into a serious monogamous relationship, let alone move in with a girl." Sam raised his eyebrows. "She must be pretty special."

Puck shrugged. "Rachel's good. She's different," He looked back over to where the brunette was getting scolded by Lauren again.

"Different from Quinn?" Sam questioned quietly and Puck's gaze snapped over to his blonde friend.

"Don't bring her up," Puck demanded and tightened his grip on his mug. "Rachel doesn't know anything about that. She doesn't need to. That was high school, Sam. I was _sixteen_."

"You're living with the woman and you haven't told her about Beth?"

Puck's jaw was set and he glanced down to the table, searching for a distraction from this subject. He didn't want to talk about Quinn or Beth, but definitely not Quinn. He hadn't heard that name in almost twelve damn years.

"It doesn't matter. Beth isn't my daughter. She never was," Puck whispered tightly.

"Puck."

"She's not. I'm not an idiot, man. Maybe when I was sixteen I thought I could raise her but I was kid. I was dumb and Quinn was right to give her up. She may be my biological daughter but she's not _mine_. Fuck man, I only got to hold her once." Puck ran a hand over his face. "_She isn't mine._"

"Okay," Sam nodded.

"What is your problem?" Someone shouted from the other side of the diner and Puck whipped his head around to see Rachel babbling an apology to some douche in front of her.

*/*

She hated this job. In New York, she had worked part-time in her dad's music studio while she drifted from audition to audition. Now she was wiping tables and dealing with customers who left the worst tips. She could find more money than this in a dirty subway car. It was kind of pathetic but she knew Matt was right and she was just going to have to deal with it.

And she hated this uniform. Apparently, Sam's grandfather had built this diner years ago and the uniforms hadn't changed much since the sixties. It was a pale blue button up dress that stops a few inches above her knees and she got a white apron tied around her waist. She was dealing with the stupid shoes she had to wear but she absolutely refused to wear the little hat so she has her hair pulled up in a ponytail and her bangs were hanging to the side.

She knew Sam was getting frustrated with her because she was constantly writing orders down wrong or dropping the tray. She was trying, though. She doesn't like Sam being annoyed with her but she hated it even more when Lauren, another waitress, yelled at her.

"Order 34 goes to table 8, Berry." Lauren snapped and shoved the tray at her. "Think you can handle that without me holding your hand."

Rachel just forced herself to smile and balanced the tray the best she could until she reached a couple sitting at a small table in the corner. "Roast beef, right?" She questioned as she sat the plate down in front of the man.

She was doing pretty well until she accidentally knocked the glass of tea over and it spill all over the guy's lap. "What is your problem?" He shouted and stood up all in one motion.

"I'm so, so sorry," Rachel reached for some napkins and handed them to the man. "It was an accident. I'm sorry, so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Are you a fucking idiot?" The man snapped loudly and Rachel was pretty sure everyone in the diner was staring at her now. "Get a damn towel!"

"Is there a problem?" Puck's voice had come from beside Rachel and she glanced over to see both Puck and Sam standing by her side.

"Yea, this bitch just spilled my drink all over my," The man was still trying to dry off his shirt while his date watched the scene play out from her seat.

Puck looked over at Rachel, who was biting her lip nervously while she looked down at the ground and he could tell she was trying not to burst into tears. He tried not to think about how mad that made him.

"Karofsky, you don't need to start calling her names," Sam shook his head.

"Karofsky?" Puck questioned and stepped closer to the man. "These past twelve years weren't too good to you, were they?"

"Fuck off, man," Karofsky glared at Puck.

"Rach, go get a towel from the back," Puck told the woman beside him and waited while she rushed off to do as he said. She was back a few minutes later and Karofsky jerked the towel from her hand. "Now, you," Puck raised his chin and narrowed his eyes at Karofsky. "Apologize."

"For what?" Karofsky snorted. "I'm the one covered in tea."

"It's really not necessary," Rachel whispered from beside Puck.

Puck set his jaw and took a menacing step towards Karofsky. "Apologize for yelling at her, now," He growled and Karofsky swallowed thickly.

*/*

"You picked a cracker box for us to live in," Puck complained as he lay on the couch in the small living room. Rachel was sitting on the floor by his head, watching a movie on TV while she ate some kind of sandwich. "Why'd you like this place anyway?"

She shrugged and turned the volume on the TV down. "I don't know. It's quaint and secluded. Completely different from New York but I like it. Besides, it has two bedrooms so now you won't have to sleep on the couch like you would have at that apartment you expected me to live in."

He chuckled, something Rachel had realized he rarely did, and looked down at the back of her head in the low light of the television. "You miss your family?"

"Wouldn't you?" She retorted quietly. "Of course I do. I love my dads, both of them, and even though my mom wasn't always around when I was a child, I had gotten used to her being in my life. And then almost overnight, they were ripped away from me. I haven't seen or talked to them in almost a year. They missed my birthday. My dads always took me out to this amazing vegan place not far from my apartment on my birthday but not last year. They couldn't even call me to wish me a happy birthday. Wouldn't you miss that?"

"Yea," He whispered and they fell silent again, both turning their attention back to the movie playing in front of them.

Her breath caught in her throat when she felt his fingers slipping into her hair and she wondered if he realized he was even doing it. She didn't move, though, because she kind of liked the way his thumb stroked the side of her neck. It was comforting almost.

So maybe she didn't hate Noah Puckerman as much as she thought. Maybe she didn't hate him at all. She wasn't really sure how she felt right now. Noah wasn't at all like she first thought. He pretended to be hard and uncaring but she had spent the last two weeks living with him and he's nothing like that. He was actually kind of sweet. Last week, when she freaked out because she found a spider crawling up her wall in the bedroom, he scooped it up and carried it outside at eleven o'clock at night, walking it a respectable distance from the house because even though Rachel hated spiders, she didn't want it dead.

And when she burnt her hand trying to make some cookies in the oven yesterday, he pulled out the first aid kit and made her sit on the kitchen counter so he could put some cream on it. Then, he finished her cookies while she sat on the counter and softly sang 'Let it Be.'

So now her eyes are falling closed because the pattern his thumb is making on her skin is making her sleepy. "Noah," She murmured his name and he leaned forward then, moving her hair away from her neck, and pressed a warm kiss right below her ear. "I…" She trailed off when she turned her head and found his lips.

His fingers twisted in her hair, pulling her closer, and she tilted her body so she could be closer still. She's pretty sure she had never felt like this. She's positive it never felt like this with Jesse. Her heart is beating loudly in her ears and her stomach is twisting in ways that make her excited and nervous all at the same time. He pulled her closer until she was practically lying on top of him on the couch and she didn't fight him, just kissed him more. His hands have moved lower, slipping under the material of her tank top, and she arched her back because he felt so good.

But then her head started to clear and she realized just exactly what was going on. He's kissing her, groping her really, and she's pretty sure this is what she wanted but she found herself pulling away from him anyway.

"Noah." She squeezed her eyes shut tight for a minute before meeting his confused gaze. Yea, she's confused, too. "We can't do this. I'm going to go back to New York after this whole mess is sorted out and you're going to go back to whatever it was you were doing before you met me. This is temporary, this whole thing is supposed to be temporary, but I'm getting these feelings… feelings that don't feel temporary." It was kind of awkward since his hands were still under her shirt so she pushed on his chest until she was standing up. "And I know you probably have these feelings, too, but they need to be temporary."

She shut herself up in her bedroom then, and tried to pretend like she hadn't noticed the hurt look in his eyes. His footsteps were heavy outside her door and she held her breath until she was sure he was in his own bedroom. This whole thing was temporary and she tried to think about how different life would be like when she got back to New York. She wondered how her dads were doing and her mom. Were they worried about her? Did they miss her as much as she missed them? But then her thoughts turned toward the man sleeping next door to her and she squeezed her eyes shut because this definitely wasn't temporary.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Glee.

*/*

She knows he's doing it on purpose. She rejected him the other night and now he's bringing some tramp back to her house. Rachel can hear them laughing in the kitchen. Rachel tries to ignore them but finally drags herself out of the bed when she hears something, or someone, bumping into her bedroom door.

She kind of hates him because he's purposely trying to draw her out of her bedroom. He wants her to see him with someone else, but she really doesn't have time to nurse his bruised ego.

Rachel pulls her door open to find some girl pressing Puck into the wall a little way down the hallway. She ignores the pang in her chest and the tears fighting their way to her eyes when she meets Puck's gaze. He's staring right at Rachel but he doesn't stop kissing whatever woman he found at the bar to bring home.

Rachel barely has her bedroom door closed behind her before the tears are falling down her cheeks. She hates that she's crying but she hates even more that she can hear Puck leading the woman to his room and closing the door loudly behind them.

*/*

Puck is making breakfast when she wakes up in the morning. She really just wants to spend the day in her bedroom before she has to go to work but her stomach growls at her so she quickly dresses for work and trudges into the kitchen. He glances up at her for a second and then he's holding a plate of food out to her.

She almost doesn't take it but it looks really good and she hasn't had a decent meal in weeks.

"Is she gone?" Rachel asks quietly when she sits down at the table to eat.

"I sent her home last night." Puck nods and sat at the table across from Rachel.

"Of course you did," She clips the words out sharply.

Puck chews on his eggs for a few seconds before looking up at Rachel. "I didn't sleep with her, Rachel."

"I saw you," she counters, "in the hallway. You were kissing her."

"I know." He nods again. "But it didn't go further than that. I kept thinking about the other night and how you kissed me. I couldn't, Rachel. So I sent her home."

Rachel thought that over for a second and meets his wary gaze. "You didn't have sex with her?"

He shakes his head meekly. "I think I just wanted to hurt you."

"Well, you succeeded," Rachel whispers. "You let your stupid ego get in the way. I wasn't trying to hurt you the other night. We can't do that, Noah; we can't go there."

"It's temporary?" Puck repeats her words.

"Yes." She ducks her head.

"Well, what if I don't want it to be?" He asks quietly and she draws in an audible breath. "What if I don't want you to pretend like this never happened when you go back to New York?"

"You don't always get what you want, Noah. You knew the rules before you said yes to Matt. You knew this wasn't anything more than some kind of assignment." She pushes her chair back and stands. "I have to get to work. I'll eat breakfast there."

"I'll drive you," He offers quickly.

"No," Her voice sounds pleading. "I think I'll walk today. Sam or Brittany can give me a ride home tonight. I really don't want to be around you right now."

*/*

Rachel doesn't want to be here. She only agreed to let Sam and Brittany take her out to some club because she didn't want to go home and see Noah. She's kind of being childish with this cold shoulder thing but she thinks he deserves it. It's been a few nights since he brought that woman home, but she still hasn't forgiven him yet.

She doesn't mean to get a little drunk. Brittany keeps handing her these really delicious drinks with fruit in them and she only drinks four so she's not all that drunk. But her head feels fuzzy and it keeps her from thinking about Noah and how it felt to see him kissing some other woman so she doesn't refuse when Brittany offers her another one.

The music is loud and Rachel can't remember the last time she did this. The last time she went out with friends and actually had fun. She kind of forces Sam to come dance with her and he's reluctant because he doesn't really like to dance but he's got his hands on her hips while she moves her hips to the beat of the song pounding in her ears.

Rachel can see Brittany a few feet away and she's dancing with Santana, a friend of Puck's that Rachel just met tonight. Santana is really pretty, but Rachel notices the woman is a little uncomfortable because of this scar across her jaw line. Rachel is curious so she asks Sam while their dancing and he just tells her it's a long story and that Santana doesn't really like to talk about it.

So Rachel lets it go and decides she likes the way Sam's hands feel on her hips. His body is warm when she pushes back against him so she gets a little upset when he suddenly pulls away from her in the middle of a song.

She turns to ask him what's wrong but the words don't leave her mouth when she sees Puck walking into the club. Sam shoots her an apologetic look and walks off. Rachel just glares at his back and pushes away the urge to call him a pussy.

Rachel lets Puck pull her to a quiet corner of the club even though she's a bit reluctant, but she knows that if she doesn't let him say his peace, he'll probably throw her over his shoulder and carry her back home.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He hisses through clenched teeth and she rolls her eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She decides to feign innocence and he snorts.

"I just got a call saying my _girlfriend_ was grinding with Evans," He tells her.

"Who—?" She trails off when she follows his gaze to the man sitting in the booth beside Sam. She narrows her eyes because it's Mike Chang, another friend of Puck's she met tonight, and she frowns because she knew he looked sneaky when they were first introduced by Brittany. "It was nothing. And I'm not really your girlfriend so it doesn't matter."

"You and I may know this is some huge ass lie but everyone else in this town needs to think that we're together," He says harshly. "You may think this is some game, Rachel, but there's a reason Matt called a former beret. The guys that want you dead are dangerous, okay?"

"Okay," She nods and ducks her head. "I get it."

"Okay, then," He sighs. "Now I have to go kick Evans' ass. Can't let people think I share my woman with Trouty Mouth, now can I?"

Rachel rolls her eyes, but there's a small smile playing on her lips. "You're a Neanderthal."

"Whatever, Babe," He smirks because he knows they're okay now.

Rachel kind of feels sorry for Sam when she sees Puck leading him out of the club but she turns her attention back to the people in front of her. She's sitting between Santana and Brittany in the booth with Mike across from her and two other guys that just showed up.

One is Kurt and the other Blaine and if it weren't so obvious they were a couple, Brittany whispering that they were gay in her ear would have tipped her off. Kurt, the far more feminine of the two, wastes no time before dissecting the outfit she's wearing and she would have been offended if he didn't wink at her when he says her sweater is hideous.

"It's just a good think you're hot," Santana translates for her. "And obviously you're great in bed or Puck wouldn't be sticking around so long."

"How'd you convince him to move in with you?" Blaine asks curiously. "Puckerman is not the kind of guy that settles down with anyone."

Rachel shrugs. "I guess I'm just special."

"Right," Santana laughs halfheartedly. "There is only one girl in the entire world that Puck thinks is special and that's Beth."

"Beth?" Rachel asks immediately. Did Puck have some ex she didn't know about?

"Santana," Mike warns but now Rachel is determined to find out who Beth is. "Not now."

"She's living with the guy but she doesn't know Beth is?" Santana raises a brow. "Sounds to me she isn't that special if he hasn't told her _that_ story."

"It's not your story to tell," Puck says when he walks back over to the table with Sam. "Do you mind to tell me what the hell your problem is?"

"Who's Beth?" Rachel asks but it seems she's being ignored since everyone is looking back and forth between Santana and Puck.

"I think I need a trip to the lady's room." Santana saunters off and Puck rolls his eyes before taking the seat beside Rachel.

"Bitch," Puck calls after her and Rachel catches Santana flipping him the bird.

"Who is Beth?" Rachel repeats.

"He'll tell you when he's ready," Brittany whispers in Rachel's ear and the smaller brunette woman decides to let the subject drop. For now.

The alcohol is wearing off and now Rachel is starting to get tired. But she doesn't say anything because Puck seems to be having a good time catching up with his friends, some of them he hasn't really seen or talked to since he was eighteen. It isn't until her eyelids are drooping and her head is finding a nice warm spot of Puck's shoulder that Puck tells them he has to go.

She wants to tell him she's fine and that she doesn't mind staying for a little longer so he can hang out some more with his friends but she really is tired and she kind of likes the way he lets her lean on him as they walk out to his car. Puck hums on the way home and it's barely audible over the sound of the motor, but she likes it, and he smiles when she tells him so.


End file.
